An election from Bonatti for gambling

Bonatti gives us an election for dice games, but which can be extended to other games of chance. We want the following conditions:

Electional conditions

1. The ascendant in movable sign
2. Lord 1 in good condition and well disposed
3. Lord 7 weak and impedited
4. If possible, let Lord 8 in House 2 or House 1, received by Lord 2 or Lord 1 (but do not let Lord 8 receive Lord 2)
5. Preferably we want the Moon separating from a free benefic and applying to another benefic, and the moon should be above earth, and we should be facing in the direction of wherever the moon happens to be at the time

Bonatti also gives us some simpler conditions if we cannot manage all of the above: simply let the ascendant be a movable sign and face the direction of the moon, or, if that is not possible, simply facing the direction of the moon will suffice in a pinch.

A rationale and example

Let’s assume we’re electing for a poker player to make some spare cash at the local underground Triad gambling establishment.

We want the ascendant to be in a movable sign (Aries, Cancer, Libra, Capricorn) because we want a swift and decisive change in fortune to occur (Bonatti says the movable signs symbolise “the hasty mobility of matters” – Liber Astronomiae, Treatise 7, Chapter 20. p. 698)

Our player is signified by Lord 1. We want our player to be in good mental and emotional health, clear thinking, focused and mindful. As such, we want the Lord of the ascendant to be essentially dignified (preferably in his own domicile). We also do not want Lord 1 to be impedited, especially by the malefics, that is, we do not want our player too inebriated or distracted by the armed guards.

Lord 7 are our player’s enemies, the other players and the house. We want them in a worse condition than our player. If the other players are strungout and worried about the 5 figure sum that is due to the Black Dragon Tong of Retribution at the end of the week, they are less likely to perform as well as our player. Thus we want Lord 7 to be in his fall or detriment and afflicted by harsh aspects to the malefics.

Lord 8 is the 2nd from the 7th and represents the other players’ substance (their money). We want their money to be in our player’s hand (house 1) or, as a new addition to our player’s wealth, in his pocket (house 2). Preferably with Lord 8 being received by Lord 1 or Lord 2 to make this transition as smooth as possible, and without mutual reception, since we don’t want any of our player’s money to end up in another’s hands.

We want our player to face the moon because the moon reflects the light and influence of the other planets to him and symbolically transmits the beneficial effects of the election to our player.

Here’s an example set for tomorrow at 3pm in London

Lord 1 is Jupiter dignified by face. Not ideal, but we have some accidental dignity as it is in th 10th house. It is in a better position than Lord 7, Mercury. who is peregrine and afflicted by a partile conjuntion to Mars in the 8th house. Lord 8 is the Moon who is in the second house and received by the Lord of the second house, Saturn, in the sign Aquarius. One issue is that the first house is afflicted by the presence of Saturn, however, given that Saturn is Lord of the second house, our house of substance, it is fitting that it in the first house (i.e., our money remains with us)